Transport assemblies for liquid or pulverulent materials



Oct. 16, 1962 H. w. CARLSEN 3,058,753

TRANSPORT ASSEMBLIES FOR LIQUID OR PULVERULENT MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1959 INVENTOR HsLm/TH MCARLQEA Oct. 16, 1962 H. w. CARLSEN TRANSPORT ASSEMBLIES FOR LIQUID OR PULVERULENT MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 23, 1959 lNUEA/TDR Hemvw w. MRLSEAI Oct. 16, 1962 H. w. CARLSEN 3,058,753

TRANSPORT ASSEMBLIES FOR LIQUID 0R PULVERULENT MATERIALS Filed Oct. 23, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG.3

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HELMUTH M CRRLSEI/ 1952 H. w. CARLSEN 3,058,753

TRANSPORT ASSEMBLIES FOR LIQUID OR PULVERULENT MATERIALS Filed Oct. 25, 1959 e Sheets-Sheet 4 MIVENTDR Hum/r11 w. C/IRLSE/V w WM d- 1962 H. w. CARLSEN 3,058,753

TRANSPORT ASSEMBLIES FOR LI QUID OR PULVERULENT MATERIALS Filed Oct. 23, 1959 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVEA/TOR HELHI/m kl. CARLSEN H. W. CARLSEN Oct. 16, 1962 TRANSPORT ASSEMBLIES FOR LIQUID OR PULVERULENT MATERIALS 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Oct. 25, 1959 INVENTOR HELMUT/f kl. C/MLSEA/ 3&58353 Patented Oct. 16, 1962 3,058,753 TRANSPORT ASSEMBLIES FOR LIQUID R PULVERULENT MATERIALS Helmuth William Carlsen, Limhamn, Sweden, assignor to AB Interconsult, Malmo, Sweden, a corporation of Sweden Filed Oct. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 848,240 Claims priority, application Sweden Aug. 10, 1959 2 Claims. (Cl. Z805) Liquid or pulverulent materials are now transported more and more fiequently in tanks of one shape or other placed on the subframe of a vehicle. For such transport purposes the vehicle subframe must be made sufiiciently strong to take up the total load of the tank and the material filled thereinto, while the tank proper is designed as a self-supporting unit which is capable of withstanding the load of its content and, in addition, an internal pressure above atmospheric to which the tank is possibly subjected during use. It is a natural endeavor to keep the weight of such a transport assembly as low as possible in the empty state, for each pound saved in weight implies a considerable reduction of the annual transport costs of such transport assemblies.

This invention therefore has for its object to provide a transport assembly which, in empty state, is of considerably lower weight than previously known transport assemblies of the kind concerned, with one and the same loading capacity. In certain cases the invention gives a saving in weight of more than 10%.

The invention thus relates to a transport assembly for liquid or pulverulent materials comprising one or more tanks with associated supporting structure which is adapted to be carried by a vehicle and/ or equipped with wheels of its own. The characteristic features of the invention are that the supporting structure is in the form of a three-dimensional framework and that the tank or tanks have substantially spherical portions which are comprised in said framework as active or stressed elements therein.

Further objects of the invention and the advantages gained thereby will become apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which illustrate two embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a transport assembly according to the invention which is equipped with wheels of its own and adapted for towing as a trailer by a truck tractor;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the transport assembly proper without wheels;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the transport assembly shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a plan view, seen from below, of a portion of the transport assembly in FIG. 2, as regarded from line 44 in said figure;

FIG. 5 is a plan view, seen from below, of another portion of the transport assembly in FIG. 2, as regarded fromline 55 in said figure;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 66 in FIG. 2;

:FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken on line 7-7 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of another embodiment of a transport assembly according to the invention as coupled to a truck tractor;

FIG. 9 is a side elevational view of the transport assembly proper as shown in FIG. 8;

FIG. 10 is a sectional view taken on line Ill-10 in FIG. 9.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7 has a single tank 1 which consists of an upper substantially spherical portion *1a and a conical bottom portion lb connecting thereto. The tank which is intended for liquid or pulveru'lent material, has a fill opening 2 at the top and an outlet 3 at the bottom. The substantially spherical portion 1a of the tank 1 is contained as an active element in a three-dimensional framework (which is described more in detail in the following) so that said framework and said tank together form a unitary transport assembly which is self-supporting and may be equipped with rear wheels 4 and front wheels 5 to form a trailer which can be coupled to a truck tractor not shown by means of a bar 6.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1 through 7 the three-dimensional framework has two longitudinal, substantially parallel, lower tie beam elements which are exposed to tension and composed of two front tie bar means 7 and two rear tie bar means 8 and a substantially circular reinforcement ring 9 which is connected to the tank wall along the transition between the spherical wall portion 1a and the conical bottom wall 117. The facing ends of the front and rear tie bar means 7, 8 are secured, for instance by welding, at spaced points to the reinforcement ring 9 so that this ring is contained as an active member in the two lower longitudinal tie beam elements 7, 8, 9 which extend substantially over the entire length of the transport assembly. Compressional bar means 10 extend from the remote ends of the lower tie bar means 7, 8 obliquely upwardly to the spherical wall portion 1a of the tank, to which portion the facing ends of the bar means '10 are secured at four spaced points. The bar means 10 lie substantially in the same vertical plane as each of the lower tie bar means 7, 8. Between the points where each pair of bar means 10 situated in the same vertical plane are secured to the spherical tank wall la there extends a reinforcing member 11 arranged on the inner side of the spherical tank wall la. As will appear from FIG. 7, said reinforcing member 11 is composed of a sheet metal strip 11a, which is welded to the tank wall 1a and is in bearing contact with said wall everywhere, and a sheet metal strip 11b of V-shaped cross section whose limbs are welded to the sheet metal strip 11a. The parts 10 and 1-1 thus form two upper compressional bar elements which are subjected to compression and extend from the fi'ont end of the transport assembly to the rear end thereof. Each compressional bar element 10, 11 and the tie bar element 7 to 9 situated therebeneath in approximately the same vertical plane constitute an upright plane framework unit in which a portion of the spherical tank wall In is included as an active element. The reinforcement ring 9, which is part of the tank, as well as other portions of the spherical wall 1a also form active connecting means between the two substantially vertical plane framework units so that there is obtained a three-dimensional framework.

This three-dimensioned framework is made more rigid within its front end and rear end portions which are located outside the tank 1. Thus, the superimposed compressional bar means 10 and tie bar means 7 and 8, re-

spectively, are interconnected in pairs by a substantially V-shaped metal sheet 12 one limb of which extends along the compressional bar means and is welded thereto, while the downwardly facing end of the limb is welded to the tie bar means 7. The other limb of the metal sheet 12 extends from the upper portion of the bar means 10 in an arc downwardly along the spherical portion 1a of the tank and is welded thereto, while the downwardly facing end of the limb is welded to the tie bar means 7. For aesthetica-l reasons the space between the limbs of the V-shaped metal sheet 12 is filled out with expanded metal r13 or the like. The .two front compressional bar means it and the two rear compressional bar means 10 are interconnected on one hand by means of a transverse metal sheet 14 approximately at the middle of their length, and on the other hand over their entire length by a gently curved cover sheet 15. A front and a rear approximately U-shaped sheet metal strip 16 is welded to the tank wall to make for a more gentle transfer of forces between the tank wall and the framework portions projecting from the tank 1, and by the intermediary of said sheet metal strip :16 the bar means 10 and the metal sheets 12, are secured to the tank.

The points where the front and rear tie bar means 7, 8 are secured to the ring 9 are reinforced by gusset plates 17. The front tie bar means 7 are also mutually connected by two L-profiles '18 which together with four oblique L-profiles 19 form a mounting for a turntable 2% which is carried by the front wheel pair 5.

The rear tie bar means 8 are interconnected close to the tank 1 by means of a channel profile 21 and adjacent their free ends connected by an L-profile 22, said two bracing members 21, 22 constituting a mounting for the rear Wheel pair 4.

The invention is not limited to the use of a single tank in the framework, and the advantages of the invention will in fact become more pronounced with several tanks. A framework including three tanks is shown by way of example in FIGS. 8 through 10.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 8 through 10 the tanks 1 are of exactly the same construction as that shown in FIGS. l through 7. The three tanks are placed in a horizontal row, and framework portions of substantially the same construction as the front and rear fnamework in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 through 7 are secured to the remote faces of the two outermost tanks. Thus there are lower front tie bar means 7 which are secured to the reinforcement ring 9 of the front tank 1, and obliquely upwardly directed front compressional bar means .10 which are connected to the tie bar means 7 and to the spherical wall portion of the front tank '1 in the manner earlier described opposite the respective end of the reinforcing portions '11 of the tank. Likewise, there are provided lower 'rear tie bar means-8 which are connected to the reinforcement ring of the rear tank 1, and obliquely upwardly directed rear compressional bar means 10 which are connected to the means 8 and to the spherical wall portion of the rear tank 1 in the manner earlier described at the respective rear end of the reinforcing portions 11 of the tank. For the continuation of the framework between the tanks the reinforcement rings 9 thereof are interconnected-by tie bar means 23 which are located substantially in the same vertical plane as the tie bar means 7 and 8. Besides, the spherical wall portions of the tanks 1 are connected together at-the top by means of com pressional bar means 24 which lie substantially in the same vertical plane as the compressional banmeans 10 and are connected to the spherical portions of the tanks at the facing ends of the reinforcing portions 11 of the respective tank. In each tank interspace each compressional bar means 24- is connected to the subjacent tie bar means 23 by a substantially plane metal sheet 25 the side edges of which are welded to the adjoining spherical wall portions ofthe tanks 1. Each metal sheet 25 has upper and lower apertures therein which are 'covered by an expanded metal network 26 or the like.

In each tank interspace, flat irons 27 are welded with their one side edge to the facing sides of the metal sheet 25, and said flat irons intersect and extend from the compressional'bar means 24 to the tie bar means 23 to which they are also welded. Furthermore, the two compressional bar means 24 are interconnected in each tank interspace by means of a curving metal sheet 28 which is also connected to the spherical wall portions of the adjacent tanks.

Same as in the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 through 7 the compressional bar means 10 and the metal sheets A2 and 15 connected thereto are united with the spherical wall portion of the respective tank 1 by the intermediary of a substantially U-shaped sheet metal strip 16, and the compressional bar means 24 and the metal sheets 25 and 28 are likewise secured to the spherical wall portions of the tanks by the intermediary of similar U-shaped sheet metal strips 29.

Since the transport assembly described in the foregoing with reference to FIGS. 8 through 10 and being in the form of a three-dimensional framework in which the tanks [1 are comprised as structural parts, is intended for use as a semitrailer the front tie bar means 7 are interconnected by means of a sheet metal traverse 30 by which the transport assembly is pivotally mounted on a truck tractor .31 in the manner known from semitrailers, while the rear tie bar means 8 have fixation trestles 3-2 for suspending the rear portion of the transport assembly on a two axle four-wheel carriage 33 of conventional construction and having wheels 34 thereon.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A transport assembly for pourable bulk material, comprising two supporting frames disposed side by side and each having a front portion and a rear portion spaced from each other, each front portion and rear portion being disposed in a vertical plane and spaced from the corresponding portion of the other frame, each portion having a lower longitudinally extending tension member and an upper longitudinally extending compression member extending toward the other portion of the frame from the extreme end of the lower longitudinally extending member, cross members connecting the respective side by side portions, tank means for containing bulk material and connected between the front and rear portions ofthe said frames, said tank means having substantially spherical walls to'which the front and rear portions of said frames are connected with the spherical walls connected to and extending between the frame members for transmitting forces between the frame members and between frame portions, a plurality of U-shaped reinforcing strips extending along 'the spherical Wall of said tank means andsecured thereto, one between the upper and lower frame members on each front and rear portions of each frame, and means on said frames for mounting said assembly on transport means.

2. A transport assembly for pourable bulk material, comprising two supporting frames disposed side by side. and each having a front portion and a rear portion spaced from each other, each front portion and rear portion being disposed in a vertical plane and spaced from the corresponding portion of the other frame, each portion having a lower longitudinally extending tension memberand an upper longitudinally extending compression member extending toward the other portion of the frame from the extreme end of the lower longitudinally extend ing' member, cross members connecting the respective side by side portions, tank means for containing bulk material and connected between the front and rear portions of the said frames, said tank means comprising a plurality of aligned tanks each having a spherical portion, the front and rear portions of said frames being connected with the end tanks with the spherical portions extending between frame members, a plurality of top 5 6 compression frame members extending between the upper References Cited in the file of this patent portions of each pair of adjacent tanks, and bottom ten- UNITED STATES PATENTS sion frame members extending between the lower portions of each pair of adjacent tanks, said top and bottom 1:685105 Thompson 31 P 25, 1923 frame members being connected to the spherical portions 5 1,839,701 Pollock et a1 5, 1932 of the tanks between which they extend and the spheri- 1,372,272 Puffer g- 9 cal portions of the tanks extending between frame mem- 2,151,392 Pugh Mar. 21, 1939 bers, and means on said frames for mounting said as- 2,169,500 Reid Aug. 15, 1939 sembly on transport means. 2,616,758 Meyers Nov. 4, 19 52 

